Summary
Niantic has announced that Blacephalon and Stakataka are finally coming toPokemon GO, but their debuts will be region-locked.Pokemon GOcontinues to expand its Pokedex, and this time, it will add two Ultra Beasts. With this,Pokemon GOtrainers will finally be able to expand their collections by adding more Pokemon from this remarkable group that debuted in Gen 6.
Ultra Beasts are a group of extradimensional Pokemon with unusual designs that make several appearances inPokemon GOevents. One of the most notable was theUltra Beast Arrival event, where seven of the 11 Ultra Beasts appeared as a reward forPokemon GOplayers who won one to seven Raids. After the debut of Poipole inPokemon GOthis year via new Special Research, two of the Ultra Beasts left to be added to the game were Blacephalon and Stakataka. But Niantic recently brought good news forPokemon GOplayers and revealed that the duo’s debut is close to happening.
Pokemon GOannounced that Blacephalon and Stakataka are finally debuting in the game, but there’s a catch: the Pokemon will be region-locked. Through its official Twitter account,Pokemon GOhas revealed the calendar of events for May, confirming that the last two Ultra Beasts will be available from May 23 to June 1 in 5-star Raids. The detail is that Blacephalon will only be available to players in the Western Hemisphere, and thepowerful Rock/Steel-type Stakatakawill only appear in Raids for trainers in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Region Exclusivity Is Not a New Mechanic in Pokemon GO
WhilePokemon GOplayers can find a wide range of Pokemon in the wild, several critters are only available in specific regions. Some examples include the blue, red, and yellow variants of Flabebe, the red-striped and blue-striped Basculin, and even two of the Ultra Beasts.Kartana and Celesteela returned toPokemon GOlast month, and while the first Pokemon was exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere, the second was only available in battles in the Southern Hemisphere.
Region exclusivity is a controversial aspect ofPokemon GO, with some trainers accusing Niantic of using this limitation as a way of promoting in-person Raids after thenerf on remote Raids. Niantic, for its part, shows no signs of giving up this mechanic. For players dissatisfied withPokemon GO’s region-exclusive critters, they can continue to take part in events and try remote Raids to increase their Pokemon collections in the augmented reality game at the best of their efforts.
WHERE TO PLAY
Now you can battle other Pokémon GO trainers online! Try the GO Battle League today. Join Trainers across the globe who are discovering Pokémon as they explore the world around them. Pokémon GO is the global gaming sensation that has been downloaded over 1 billion times and named “Best Mobile Game” by the Game Developers Choice Awards and “Best App of the Year” by TechCrunch
UNCOVER THE WORLD OF POKÉMON: Explore and discover Pokémon wherever you are! CATCH more Pokémon to complete your Pokédex! JOURNEY alongside your Buddy Pokémon to help make your Pokémon stronger and earn rewards! COMPETE in epic Gym battles and… TEAM UP and UNITE with other Trainers to catch powerful Pokémon during Raid Battles!It’s time to get moving—your real-life adventures await! Let’s GO
